Worcester City: Snape to seek sponsorship and focus on youth... if he stays

Worcester City: Snape to seek sponsorship and focus on youth... if he stays

JOHN Snape’s Worcester City future is unlikely to be rubber stamped until the summer but the boss has declared: “We will have to be patient next season.”

Chairman Anthony Hampson revealed the City manager would be offered the chance to stay on despite off-field matters resulting in a tumultuous first season in the Midland Football League.

Last month Hampson had warned the club could go “fully amateur” next season but the club has since announced it will retain semi-professional status, albeit without defining how its playing budget would be affected.

Talks have been ongoing since with Snape’s response to whether he would be in the City hot-seat next season being: “I hope so.”

Resources seem set to be limited though with talk of Snape attempting to secure sponsorship, a big focus on developing under-21 players and a hint at more managed expectations next term.

“I am humble and love the job,” said Snape.

“It has been difficult at times but this is still a fantastic football club, there would be a multitude of people wanting to take it on.

“I will be looking at what staff I can get involved next season, what sponsorship I can try to get in to help the club and hope to progress things on and off the pitch.

“I will be sitting down with the board but things are under way now in terms of our facilities, where the first-team and under-21s will train.

“There are a lot of bits and bobs to sort out but the future of the club is the youngsters coming through. That is something we will talk about but it will probably be left until the end of the season.

“We cannot take our minds off what we need to do which is gain nine points from our final three games.

“There has been a lot of hard work looking at the pros and cons of the under-21s, under-18s and where we go with the club moving forward.”

Snape added: “The support at the club is essential. Hopefully, the fans will want to see me and the backroom team bring through some of the youngsters.

“I think we will have to be patient next season. There is a bit of frustration there at times, there has been this year, but we have seen this club has some very talented young lads coming through.

“Hopefully, I can blood some more before the end of the season. Although we are not there totally, we are starting to put in the right structure for the future of the club.

“We want to get to a position where the ground is on the horizon and the club functions with kids progressing through to the first-team set-up.

“I will sit down with the board and go through expectations. We will be working within our limits and progressing the youth set-up. That is a positive at any level.

“We can’t say too much until that infrastructure is fully working but the cogs are starting to turn now. If the kids are good enough, they are going to get the chance to play. That’s the message.”

City play their final home match of the season against rock-bottom Rocester in the Premier Division tonight (7.45pm).

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